Problems with the Samsung Galaxy S20 series and how to fix them - Android

We look at some of the common problems that Samsung Galaxy S20 series owners face and potential solutions on how to fix them

The Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra are some of the best flagship smartphones you can get your hands on. Unfortunately, these phones are not without their fair share of issues, and these are especially jarring when you dropped more than a thousand dollars on a device. Luckily, software updates and simple workarounds help alleviate some concerns. Here’s a roundup of some Samsung Galaxy S20 series problems, some workarounds and fixes, and useful how-to guides.

Editor’s note: Not everyone will come across these problems with their phones. In fact, it’s more than likely that most Samsung Galaxy S20 series users won’t see these issues at all.

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Problem #1 — Push notification issues

Battery saving features and aggressive RAM and task management that are baked into every smartphone nowadays are an excellent way to keep the phone running smoothly for as long as possible. However, this can also cause some problems for your Samsung Galaxy S20, particularly when it comes to delayed app notifications.

Potential solutions:

If you notice delayed notifications, you will have to make sure that these apps are not on the “battery optimization” list, so they keep running in the background while you need them. There might a ding in battery life, but that’s worth it to make sure that you don’t miss anything important.

• Go to Apps > Configure apps > Battery optimization > All apps. Find the apps you are seeing this problem with and disable them.
• If you want to make sure that an app keeps running in the background, you can “lock” the app. Open the app. Then launch the Recent Apps page. Tap the app icon and select “keep open for quick launching.” Once done, you can remove it by tapping on the lock icon at the bottom right of the app in the Recents page.

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Problem #2 — The refresh rate keeps changing

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series of phones come with impressive 120Hz displays. Something to keep in mind is that not every app supports that high refresh rate though. In this case, the phone automatically switches back and forth between 120Hz and 60Hz (if you have 120Hz selected as default).

The refresh rate will also drop to 60Hz if the device temperature goes above 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 F). You might find this to be the case after taking a lot of pictures, prolonged gaming sessions, and other processor-intensive activities. Things will be fine once the temperature drops below that threshold. The refresh rate will also drop once the battery level goes below 5%.

Some users have come across an unfortunate bug as well, where the switch doesn’t happen automatically. In most cases, the only option is to go into the display settings and manually set the refresh rate to 120Hz. A software update issued by Samsung addresses this problem so make sure that you keep the phone updated.

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Problem #3 — Problems with Smart Unlock

Some users find that despite having Smart Unlock set up through the Settings menu, and with the location set accurately, the feature doesn’t seem to work most of the time. This problem occurs when using Smart Unlock based on location like a home or office.

Potential solutions:

• For some, this problem might have been related to the rampant GPS connection issues the Samsung Galaxy S20 devices faced. This has since been fixed with a software update, so the Smart Unlock feature might work as expected.
• If not, you might be better off setting up a Bixby routine. To do so, go to Settings > Advanced features and tap on Bixby Routines. You will also find a Bixby Routines toggle in the Quick Settings section of the notification dropdown. Tap on the name and not the toggle. Once the page opens, tap on “Details.” You will find “Smart Unlock” on the list of existing presets in the “My routines” section.

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Problem #4 — Android Auto issues